How to Write 恳 (kěn) — Meaning “Earnest or sincere.”

Picture a sincere person kneeling (艮 looks like a kneeling figure) and placing their hand on their heart (心). The image of kneeling earnestly with a hand over the heart can help you recall that 恳 means 'earnest' or 'sincere'.

Pay attention to the 艮 component on top: it is written with a horizontal stroke first, then a vertical, then a left-falling stroke, and finally a right-falling stroke — do not confuse it with 良 (liáng). Also, the bottom 心 radical should be wide enough to support the top part, and the three dots of 心 must be balanced, not crowded.

恳 has 艮 (gèn) above 心, meaning 'earnest' or 'sincere.' 忝 (tiǎn) has 天 (tiān) above a vertical heart radical (忄) and means 'to disgrace' or 'to be unworthy' — it is used in humble expressions. 忞 (mǐn) has 文 (wén) above 心 and means 'to encourage' or 'diligent' — it is very rare. Focus on the top part to distinguish them.

恳 appears in common words like 诚恳 (chéng kěn, sincere) and 恳求 (kěn qiú, to implore). It emphasizes a deep, heartfelt quality, so it is often used in formal requests or apologies to show genuine emotion. For example, you might write 恳请 (kěn qǐng, earnestly request) in a polite letter.

Common words containing 恳 include: 诚恳 (chéng kěn) — sincere; earnest; 恳求 (kěn qiú) — To entreat or implore.; 勤恳 (qín kěn) — diligent and conscientious.